This easy Instant Pot Whole Roasted Chicken recipe combines the best of both worlds. Make this 30-minute meal as a weeknight dinner, then use the leftovers in your weekly meal prep. Save time and money with this budget-friendly meal!
Instant Pot Whole Roasted Chicken
Everybody loves a classic roasted Chicken, especially the way Mom made it. The truth is, we don’t always have the time to make a traditional roast chicken, thanks to the modern workday and all the constraints that come with it. This Instant Pot Whole Roasted Chicken is a great shortcut to a juicy, flavorful chicken when you’re short on time and craving a classic for your weeknight meal.
Typically, roasted chicken takes anywhere from 1 to 1 1/2 hours in the oven. While it’s delicious and a sight to behold, the comforts of roasted chicken come at a cost, and that cost is time. With prep and actual roasting time, getting a juicy bird on the table for dinner can take up to two hours. With the Instant Pot, you can cut the time down by more than half.
There are a few things to note when you’re making Instant Pot roast chicken. One of the trickier aspects of cooking a roast chicken in the Instant Pot is getting a crisp skin on the chicken. If you want your chicken to have that trademark crispy skin, you need to first get an oil (like grape seed oil) really hot in your pot on the sauté setting. Place the chicken in the oil and move around a few times to brown evenly. If you want the deep golden brown appearance, brown the chicken longer. Otherwise, a simple minute or so on each side will get you a lightly golden, crisp skin too.
The flavor of this Instant Pot roast chicken is absolutely spot on. You get the aromatic and tasty flavors of the fresh rosemary, sage, and thyme that’s used, as well as the garlic and lemon wedges.
Weekly Meal Prep with your Instant Pot!
The seasoning and choice in herbs can be varied based on your preferences, but this combination is always classic and easy to find in the grocery store. While you can stuff the chicken with these herbs, I find that chopping them up and adding them to the top of the chicken gets the flavors through better.
Once the chicken is seasoned, it’s placed on the pot’s accompanying trivet, then transferred into the pot with 1/2 a cup of water. The Instant Pot is then set to high pressure for six minutes per pound. A 3-pound chicken will cook for 18 minutes. Yes, only 18 minutes! How’s that for a classic made quick and easy?
Any extra veggies that you want to add on the side can be added once the chicken is done. You’ll want to quick release the pressure for the chicken, then add in vegetables like brussels sprouts and carrots, and cook on low pressure for one minute. If you’re cooking any soft vegetables like green beans or asparagus, you can set the pressure cooker to low, as they will cook faster.
Ingredients
- 3 lb whole fryer chicken
- 2 sprigs rosemary, roughly chopped
- 2-3 sprigs of thyme, leaves removed
- 4 to 5 sage leaves, finely chopped
- 1 large clove garlic, finely minced
- 1/2 a lemon, cut into 2 wedges
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Olive oil
- Grape seed oil
- 2 carrots, sliced thick on the diagonal
- 1 cup brussels sprouts, cut in half vertically
Instructions
- Set the Instant Pot to sauté to warm up. Brush the chicken with olive oil, then season your chicken with a generous pinch of salt, both on the outside of the chicken and the inside. Add some freshly ground pepper as well.
- Add enough grape seed oil to coat the bottom of the Instant Pot and allow it to get hot. Place the chicken into the pot and cook until the skin is golden. You'll want to rotate the chicken a few times to evenly cook all sides. Remove the chicken from the pot, then place the chicken on the Instant Pot's trivet. Stuff the inside of the chicken with the lemon wedges.
- Turn off the sauté feature and let the pot cool for a minute. Carefully add 1/2 cup of water, then place the trivet with the chicken (breast side up) into the pot. Sprinkle the fresh herbs and garlic all over the top of the chicken.
- Seal the lid and turn on the Instant Pot to high pressure and cook for 18 minutes. Once the time is up, place a towel over the venting knob and quick release the pressure. Add the vegetables into the pot, then cook on low pressure for 1 minute. Serve the chicken and veggies together with any additional sides that you desire.
Notes
Home Chef Tip: When you're sautéing chicken in the Instant Pot, you'll want to make sure your pot and oil are very hot before adding in the chicken. Grape seed oil is great for this because it has a high smoke point.
We hope you love this Instant Pot Whole Roasted Chicken recipe from SoFabFood Home Chef, Beeta from Mon Petit Four, as much as we do. If you love this quick and simple recipe, stop by our 30-Minute Meals Section to find more like it. For daily recipe inspiration, like us on Facebook and follow us on Pinterest. Enjoy!
